Plumbing tool bag

[John Rumm]

I have noticed a few other posters have commented about this in the recent weeks...

I have a large tool bag full of plumbing "stuff"

Not the same, but similar to:

rounds the sides inside and out and a large central section. Holdall style handles, no strap.

Now there are two fundamental problems with it; firstly I seem to spend half my plumbing time looking for stuff in its bowels. The inside pockets are difficult to get into when its full, and the remainder is like a large lucky dip! Secondly its 'kin heavy!

I have already taken the step of moving all the copper fittings into a separate compartmentalised case, but would like to do something about the rest.

A box with wheels would seem like a good idea, preferably the sort of thing you can sit or stand on. Most of the ones I have seen however only seem to have one tote tray, and the rest organised as a big "space" which I fear could take us back to problem one. Does anyone know of one with a bit more organised tool storage?

[The Medway Handyman]

Me too :-)

> Pockets rounds the sides inside and out and a large central section.

Thats the first step! Very tempting to chuck the odd fitting into the bag.

I've struggled with this problem for a few years now. Basically, nothing you can do about the weight, plumbing tools are just 'kin heavy.

Finally ended up with an 'open top' tool bag. 'Open top' & proper pockets are the key.

has 16 outer and 20 inner pockets, all of which are actually designed to take 'real' tools & not the figments of some designers imagination. Anything of an odd shape, or boxes of washers etc goes in the central section, but the pockets take care of moles grips, wrenches, spanners etc.

Mine came with a shoulder strap, which makes things a little easier weight wise.

I'm a founder member of 'tool bag buyers annonymous'. Always striving to find the ultimate tool storage solution.

Had mine for 2 years + and its stood up to the wear & tear very well & more to the point, I haven't felt the need to change it.

HTH

[Tabby]

I dont know the answer, I try and avoid plumbing. Would there be any mileage in a bag as linked to but with the large central space split into 4? By this I mean first there will actually be 2 separate bags, which stack one on the other for carrying, with the handles of both meeting up in just the right place, so that it carries more or less like a single bag. Secondly each will have a double layer central dividing wall along its length, making it W profile rather than U. Thinking is that with a bit of basic dividing into categories, there should be far less to rummage through each time. I've not tried this, jsut a thought / question.

NT

[YAPH]

Not really, but I've been thinking of building myself one. Just needs a little ply and a lot of Tuits. I'm currently using a rigid plastic tote box which is basically a tough moulding in the general shape of two long narrow deep trough-like boxes joined side-by-side with the joined middle bit extended up into a handle. At each end there are a few holes in the edge to take pliers etc. The rest of the tools go in one side trough or the other. Problem is I need more storage for short tools which can sit vertically (short screwdrivers & pliers etc). I don't generally carry fittings in this box but do have a few speedfit end stops, drayton tank plugs, rolls of PTFE and loctite thread etc which disappear under the tools, and it would be useful to carry a few fibre tap connector washers and suchlike, so some shallow drawers or assorter boxes stored under the main body of the tool box would be useful.

As I say, DIY-able given a bit of time ...

[John Rumm]

>>> Pockets rounds the sides inside and out and a large central section.

Hence why I think wheels would be good.

Yup, I think that would be better than what I am currently using, but still not quite there in terms of being able to sit on etc (one of the plumbing PITAs I find is that so many jobs are low down - and that is long way away for me!) I also have a feeling that its not going to look after the small stuff, as well as I would like...

Nice to know I am not the only member!

[John Rumm]

Yup that would be another solution... trouble is sometimes it comes looking for you! ;-)

I suppose getting a separate additional tote tray that would fit in a larger box might be one way.

I use a variation on that - I have a "tool chest" type box with extending pull up handles and wheels on the back. That works quite well in some cases since you can load it up with misc tools needed for a particular job, and the stack several other boxes onto its flat top and wheel them somewhere. Rather wide for getting through gaps though.

Dividing into categories and sizes possibly...

I tend to have a mixture of relatively big stuff (compression fitting spanners, waterpump pliers, adjustable locking spanner, stilsons, blowtorch, couple of self adjusting spanners, immersion wrench, auto basin tap wrench, traditional tap spanner), Hacksaw x 2, Manometer

Medium sized stuff: Pipe cutters x 3, Solder, Flux, Pipe brushes x 2, heat resistent solder mat.

Small tools: radiator tail key, bleeding key, monoblock mixertap box spanners, toilet seat spanner, Set of rubber CH tank "bungs".

Consumable stuff: tube silicon grease, small tin ordinary grease, LSX, Hemp, dozen reels of PTFE, Assortment box of tap washers, Smoke matches, assorted bags of fibre washers etc.

Stuff that ought not be there, but don't have a better home for: bag of various pushfit fittings, various plastic waste fittings, pipe clips, a few service valves, gate valves, pushfit stop ends, remnants from previous jobs (nots, fittings etc)!, pipe clips.

[Tim Watts]

>>>>>>>> Pockets rounds the sides inside and out and a large central section.

Remember the "RolyKit"? Great idea as long as you had space to unwind it.

[dom]

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I'm with MH on open-tote type bags. I have 3 - joinery,plumbing,electrical. Plus plastic shipping crates for stock of fittings, plus a storage bin for all the boxes of screws which I carry from place to place. Even so - it's obvious that bag designers have no clue to the kit that each trade carries.

What I'd like is an open tote type bag with a "beer crate" type divider inside, so most tools can be carried vertically, and it's obvious when something is missing. That would be particularly good for blowtorch cylinders, which I'm always concerned about accidentally puncturing.

B&Q were recently clearing good brand name tote bags at half price - might be some left.

The other solution - mega-expensive but very good - is the systainer system:

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[The Medway Handyman]

Yup - apart from immersion wrench - left in van, only 1 x junior hacksaw, no manometer. But + a set of jaw droppers, plastic pipe cutters, 'F' adjustable etc.

Yup.

Yup.

Yup.

All those tools fit nicely into my open top bag. You need to cull the contents regularly though.

Nope. They are in an organiser case and a plastic storage box.

That won't help with the seat or the weight though :-)

[John MacLeod]

Lidl have done one in the past year -- quite good in concept but

1) plastic and perhaps not quite heavy duty enough 2) drawers not all that well engineered

The same thing done in quality alloy would be excellent.

Too high to sit on, though :-(

[The Medway Handyman]

Not a single clue in their fussy little heads!

I did think of buying one of these

a folding plastic crate on wheels - Staples had them on offer the other day. Not sure if they would be man enough to cart around a heavy plumbing bag though.

'Kinell! They are expensive!

[dom]

Yup. The only bit I've got was the case a Metabo sander came in. Great quality.

Festool always use them (where the cost is trivial compared to the price of the festool!), and Bosch is using them for some of their pro tools.

[Andy Champ]

Get yourself a big box with wheels and guarantee the next job is three flights of stairs up.

Andy

[Dave Liquorice]

The one you linked to looked a bit more robust than the staples one but that might simply beacuse it's black...

One snag is the wheels are quite small 2.5" or so dia, they also have a "mid guard" around part of their circumference that is not spaced very far from the wheel. Just right for a bit of grit/gravel to pick up on the wheel and jam in the gap...

I have a Magna Cart MCX, less than =A320 from CostCo.

large soft tyred wheels that lock into position. Some other folding sack trucks just have gear type mechanisium, hit a bump and it's not unknown for a wheel to foldback under...

The only thing about the MCX is the ali handle. It's made of relatively small section ali tube and doesn't inspire confidence as a lever to get the trolly from vertical to operating. It's fine once in the balanced operating position.

[The Medway Handyman]

LOL.

I have a theory that the further away the van is parked, (or the more flights of steps involved), the more times I will have to go to it.